Air New Zealand Welcomes New China Southern Service into Auckland

Air New Zealand earlier today announced that
it welcomed a new services from Guangzhou based China Southern Airlines into
Auckland.

Air NZ Deputy Chief Said “China Southern Airlines’ new initiative to operate
a direct service between Guangzhou and Auckland is a positive development for
New Zealand tourism industry as it will help generate additional visitor
numbers from this important region of China.”

The full media release
from Air New Zealand can be read below:

Air New Zealand welcomes new direct link
from China

Air New Zealand
is welcoming news that Guangzhou based China Southern Airlines will begin a new
direct service to Auckland early this year.

Deputy Chief Executive Norm Thompson says China
Southern Airlines’new initiative to operate a direct service
between Guangzhou and Auckland is a positive development for New Zealand
tourism industry as it will help generate additional visitor numbers from this
important region of China.

“This new service complements
Air New Zealand’s existing direct services between Auckland and both
Shanghai and Beijing by opening up a third direct route which has not
previously been available – and that can only be good for New Zealand tourism
as a whole.”

“We view this as a much more positive
initiative than the previously mooted indirect service via Melbourne which
would only have added to the congestion in the already over-serviced
trans-Tasman market.”

We look
forward to welcoming China Southern Airlines to New Zealand and working
cooperatively with all tourism operators to continue to grow visitor numbers
from mainland China.